New allegations surfaced. Ghouta was attacked. The incident was strategically timed. It came with UN investigators present in Syria. Doing so raises obvious red flags. Don't expect media scoundrels to explain.

An unnamed senior US official said:

"There are strong indications there was a chemical weapons attack - clearly by the government."

"But we do need to do our due diligence and get all the facts and determine what steps need to be taken."

"The United States is deeply concerned by reports that hundreds of Syrian civilians have been killed in an attack by Syrian government forces, including by the use of chemical weapons, near Damascus earlier today. We are working urgently to gather additional information."

"The United States strongly condemns any and all use of chemical weapons. Those responsible for the use of chemical weapons must be held accountable. Today, we are formally requesting that the United Nations urgently investigate this new allegation."

"The UN investigative team, which is currently in Syria, is prepared to do so, and that is consistent with its purpose and mandate."

For the UN's efforts to be credible, they must have immediate access to witnesses and affected individuals, and have the ability to examine and collect physical evidence without any interference or manipulation from the Syrian government."

"If the Syrian government has nothing to hide and is truly committed to an impartial and credible investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria, it will facilitate the UN team's immediate and unfettered access to this site."

"We have also called for urgent consultations in the UN Security Council to discuss these allegations and to call for the Syrian government to provide immediate access to the UN investigative team."

"The United States urges all Syrian parties including the government and opposition, to provide immediate access to any and all sites of importance to the investigation and to ensure security for the UN investigative team."

Fact check

US history includes generations of crimes of war, against humanity and genocide. Use of banned weapons and toxic substances reflect standard practice.

It happens at home and abroad. Examples are too numerous to mention. For decades, CIA operatives experimented illegally with toxic substances. Human subjects were used.

It kills. It accumulates in adipose tissue and the liver. It alters living cell genetic structures. Exposure results in congenital disorders and birth defects. It causes cancer, type two diabetes, and numerous other diseases.

It remains toxic for decades. It affected millions of Southeast Asians. Many others were disabled and/or suffer from chronic illnesses. Future generations are affected like earlier ones.

Around three million US servicemen and women were harmed. So were many American civilians. Many died. Living victims suffer from diseases, birth defects, and other ill effects.

Foreign Walidi al-Moallem categorically denied Syria used chemical weapons. Chemical or other weapons of mass destruction will never be used against Syria, he added.

He explained that Syria is cooperating fully with UN investigators. He called lies about Syria are well-known. They're part of a campaign against its sovereignty. They perpetuate conflict. They prevent peace.

Israel's dirty hands are all over events in Syria. Al-Moallem called Israel a "player in the war against Syria."

"Israel is satisfied over the escalation of terrorism in the region, destruction of infrastructure, exhausting the economies, Arab armies, particularly in Syria, Iraq and Egypt," he said.

"It is happy over the destruction in the region."

"Any political analysis to the ongoing events in Syria should start from observing the Israeli stance which intervened, as a main player, in the field when it raided and attacked three Syrian sites and received wounded terrorist in its hospitals."

Israel's very much involved in destabilizing Syria. It supports regime change. It's partnered in Washington's war. It doesn't surprise.

Mossad-connected DEBKAfile lied saying "Assad has more than once declared that if the Syrian capital Damascus came under threat, he would resort to chemical warfare and the entire Middle East including Israel would go up in flames."

"All of this really looks like an attempt, at any cost, to create a reason to produce demands for the UN Security Council to side with the regime's opponents and undermine the chances of convening the Geneva conference."

What happened "draws attention to the fact that biased regional media have immediately, as if on command, begun an aggressive information attack, laying all the responsibility on the government."

"A homemade rocket with a poisonous substance that has not been identified yet - one similar to the rocket used by terrorists on March 19 in Khan al-Assal - was fired early on August 21 (at suburban Damascus) from a position occupied by the insurgents."

"Our Armed Forces have never used chemical weapons and all fabricated concoctions in this respect aim to disorient international observers and defocus their efforts in achieving the set goals," he added.

"It is no secret for anyone that all these falsifications that appear from time to time about the use of chemical weapons are nothing but an attempt to repeat the scenario that was used in the past with regard to weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."

"Syria has not used and will never use" chemical weapons," he stressed.

Opposition Syrian National Council media spokesperson Louay Mekdad was quoted.

He called on the Security Council and international powers to "live up to their moral and historical responsibility" to protect civilians.

"If the international community doesn't move now, when is it going to move," he asked?

Washington Post editors urged direct US intervention many times. On August 21, they headlined "The US should examine allegations of chemical attack in Syria," saying:

If opposition reports are true, "Obama Obama should deliver on his vow not to tolerate such crimes - by ordering direct US retaliation against the Syrian military forces responsible and by adopting a plan to protect civilians in southern Syria with a no-fly zone."